Luxury Homefront

By Ilene Denton | February 1, 2009

Market Watch First time on the market: A West Indies-style waterfront estate on the north end of Longboat Key has been listed by Saint Cacchiotti of Michael Saunders & Company for $12 million. Designed by Seibert Architects in 1998, the property has an 8,000-plus-square-foot main house and an 896-square-foot, two-bedroom... Read more »

First time on the market: A West Indies-style waterfront estate on the north end of Longboat Key has been listed by Saint Cacchiotti of Michael Saunders & Company for $12 million. Designed by Seibert Architects in 1998, the property has an 8,000-plus-square-foot main house and an 896-square-foot, two-bedroom guest house. Best of all, it’s set at the end of a quiet street on 1.16 acres of beautifully landscaped property surrounded by water on three sides, with a 75-foot heated, disappearing-edge pool. There’s even a seven-car garage fit for a serious collector.

“It’s like a resort,” says Cacchiotti, who says there’s already been interest from parents of student-athletes who come from all over the world to attend the IMG Academies. “A lot of tennis people live on the north end of Longboat,” she says.

Top of the Market

A four-bedroom contemporary home on a Gulf-to-bay property at 526 N. Casey Key Road captured the top spot in residential real estate sales in November, selling for $4,735,000 after an original list price of $6.2 million. Built in 1998, the 5,900-square-foot home has every luxurious amenity, plus a 40-foot pool and covered boat dock on the bay. Previous sale price: $950,000 in March 1995. Annette Ayers and Albert Ayers Jr. were the listing agents; Kim and Michael Ogilvie were the selling agents. All are with Michael Saunders & Company. Sales information provided by Kim Ogilvie of Michael Saunders & Company.

GreenreportGardens reach for the sky.

Eager to convert every inch of available space into green oases, resourceful gardeners are taking to the rooftops. Sarasota’s Sutter Roofing recently installed a garden roof planted with grass and shrubbery atop a cistern at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and another on the roof of the penthouse at the posh downtown condominium, Marina Tower (designed by Steve Ellis of MyGreenBuildings, above). Company spokesman Brad Sutter says garden roofs help your roof last longer (typically 50 percent longer), keep your home cooler and filter rainwater so that what is left is considered clean runoff. You might say it’s an eco-trend that’s looking up.

Great Value

A Tudor home set on a six-acre lakefront property in northwest Bradenton just steps from the new 487-acre Robinson Preserve—with all the hiking, kayaking and bird watching that implies—is now listed for sale at $1.45 million, after an original list price of $1.89 million.

Built in 1981, the five-bedroom home has a wood-paneled den, expansive kitchen that opens to a large family room with fireplaces, large downstairs master suite and beautiful curved staircase that leads to bedrooms upstairs. Listing agent Andrew Bers of Prudential Palms Realty says updating is in order, but the home is in excellent condition.

Most delightfully, the owners, a psychiatrist and his family, maintain a grove of 300 Chinese lychee and longan trees. The property, which is zoned agricultural, can be subdivided to accommodate four to 11 homes, “but that would be a shame,” says Bers. “It’s the most unusual property in Northwest Bradenton that’s not on Riverview Boulevard.”

Neighborhood Watch

The Flower Streets take bloom.

The evocatively named Flower Streets—Clematis, Hibiscus, Oleander, Bougainvillea and so on—are highly valued for their central location within walking distance of lively Southside Village and a short drive from downtown Sarasota and the beaches. Many young professional families choose to live here because of the proximity to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the county courthouse and highly regarded Southside Elementary School. But it’s the mix of historic Spanish homes, 1940s ranches and brand-new bungalow-luxe residences that make the Flower Streets especially delightful. Several newly constructed homes are coming to market this winter, says Tom Hedge Jr. of Signature Sotheby’s International Realty, and prices for existing homes range from the mid to upper $300,000s to $1 million.

Total number of property owners: 250 Total number of sales from 11/ 2007 to 11/ 2008: 11 Range of sale prices: $185,000 to $837,000 Range of square footage: 1,572 to 2,500

SAMPLE LISTING A 2,423-square-foot, four-bedroom home at 1914 Clematis St. is listed at $795,000 by Monica Barth & the Hedge Team of Signature Sotheby’s Realty. Features include arched doorways, tray ceilings, crown molding, gas range, solid surface counters, brick pavers and a large back yard.

RECENT SALE A four-bedroom, three-bath home at 1864 Goldenrod St., built in 2003, sold in late November for $657,000 after an original list price of $829,000. Like other newer homes on the Flower Streets, it has many upgrades, including stone and wood floors, a fireplace, three-car garage and heated pool. Greg Hudson of Prudential Palms Realty was the listing agent, and Greg Sheller of Re/Max Alliance was the selling agent.

MLS statistics courtesy of Tom Hedge Jr. of Signature Sotheby’s International Realty. MLS records transactions and listings by members of the Sarasota Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.